From public leadership to civic leadership: How place-based innovation can help societies recover from COVID-19

Hambleton, Robin

Abstract

Societies across the world now face at least four major challenges at once: 1) The COVID-19 health emergency; 2) A sharp economic downturn arising from the pandemic; 3) The global climate and ecological emergencies; and 4) Disturbing increases in social, economic and racial inequality. This paper argues that effective approaches to tackling complex challenges of this kind require not just improvements in international, national and multi-level governance, but also a significant expansion of the power and influence of place-based communities and civic leaders. An opening section discusses the complex nature of the current challenges facing public leaders and suggests that, if societies are to recover from COVID-19 and be better prepared for future disasters, the values guiding decision-making will need to shift towards caring for people and the planet. A second section discusses why place matters. Attention then turns to the role of leadership in responding to the new possibilities that are now opening up, and it is argued that 'civic', or place-based, leadership, as distinct from 'public' leadership, should be given more attention in leadership practice as well as in the scholarly world of leadership studies. A framework for conceptualising place-based leadership-New Civic Leadership-is introduced. This explains how civic leaders can draw on the power of place to advance a progressive approach to policy making. The next section is a short case study. Marvin Rees, who was elected as Mayor of Bristol, UK in 2016, has been using the New Civic Leadership framework to guide his inclusive approach to city governance. This strategy, known as the Bristol One City Approach, is described and evaluated. A final section identifies emerging themes for leadership and public management studies.

Citation

Hambleton, R. (2021, April). From public leadership to civic leadership: How place-based innovation can help societies recover from COVID-19. Paper presented at Public management, governance and policy in extraordinary times: Challenges and opportunities, Virtual (Hosted by Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey)

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Public management, governance and policy in extraordinary times: Challenges and opportunities
• Conference Location: Virtual (Hosted by Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey)
• Start Date: Apr 20, 2021
• End Date: Apr 23, 2021
• Deposit Date: Dec 27, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 6, 2022
• Keywords: Civic leadership; city leadership; place-based innovation; collaborative governance; Bristol One City Approach
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/8442122